15 things we learned about cars in 2015

The biggest story of the year was the VW emissions scandal, in which we found out that Volkswagen has been cheating on emissions tests in the USA, leading to an enormously costly recall for the company. Even though the story broke in September, many questions remain unanswered - expect this one to rumble on, then.

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SUVs are go - in every sector of the market. What with Bentley unveiling its Bentayga, Lamborghini confirming the Urus for production, Rolls-Royce revealing the name of its SUV (the Cullinan), and even Lotus confirming it'll jump on the bandwagon, they're coming thick and fast, from every direction.

If SUVs are all the rage right now, then so are electric cars. Even Aston Martin is getting in on the act with the RapidE, revealed in October, as is Porsche with the forthcoming Mission E. In fact, several big manufacturers have unveiled plans for partial or fully electric models within their ranges this year.

Turbos are here to stay. This year, they arrived in the Ferrari 488 GTB, the Porsche 911 Turbo, and even the Porsche Boxster gained a four-cylinder turbo engine. Like it or not, this is the shape of performance motoring in years to come.

The car tax system is changing in 2017. From then on, carbon dioxide emissions will only affect the first year's tax; for each year thereafter, a flat rate of £140 a year will be charged, rising to £450 a year for cars costing more than £40,000.

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The new Mazda MX-5 is very good indeed. We got to drive the fourth-generation version of Mazda's sporty two-seater and found it to be everything it needed to be. Better than its predecessor, in other words, and a return to the values which made the original so great.

Fiat's version of the MX-5 is going to be called the 124 Spider, in homage to the company's previous two-seater sports car of that name. It'll get a different nose to the MX-5 as well as a different engine - Fiat's 1.4-litre turbo. A hot Abarth version is also rumoured to be in the works.

Jaguar Land Rover might buy Silverstone. Yes, in a deal thought to be under negotiation at present, JLR could purchase Britain's famous race circuit, allowing it to set up a base there and use the track for testing purposes.

TVR will definitely make a comeback in 2017, and buyers' deposits have now been taken on a new model which is promised that year. No news yet on what form it'll take, but the fact that the bid to restart the Blackpool-based sports car maker has not yet foundered is promising.

Ferrari is going to build a new Dino, it was confirmed in June. The name, which refers to founder Enzo's son, is expected to be used on an entry-level model which will slot in below the 488 GTB. It was most famously used for the Dino 246 GT of 1969, a car which filled a similar role in Ferrari's range at the time. Just don't think it's going to be a cheap Ferrari.

Drivers don't understand Britain's national speed limit, as revealed by a poll in August. Apparently 36 per cent of drivers think the black-on-white stripe means a 60mph limit on a dual carriageway for cars, when in fact it is 70mph. Further confusion arose around the limits for vans and cars with trailers.

The fastest Fords are getting even lairier. The new Ford GT came as a shock when it was revealed in January, a fabulously-kept secret until the moment the covers where whisked off. Meanwhile, Ford also revealed the next Focus RS, which it says will have all-wheel drive with a rear bias and a "drift" mode. Barmy.

This is what the new Alfa Romeo Giulia looks like. Dishy, isn't it? Don't get too excited yet, though - Alfa Romeo's only shown us what the sporty Quadrifoglio model will look like. But with a 510bhp twin-turbo V6 engine, this top-line model promises to be every bit a BMW M3 rival.

This is what Jaguar's first SUV will look like - the production version, that is. After years of teasing us with the concept car, Jaguar finally revealed the production F-Pace. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it looked just like the concept. Mind you, that's no bad thing.

Volvo is getting serious about becoming a premium brand. The XC90 met with rave reviews, while the new S90, a rival to the BMW 5-series, was also revealed in 2015.